Nanette Asimov wins Swett Award

A Chronicle staff writer won recognition from the California Teachers Association for coverage of City College of San Francisco's accreditation crisis.

Higher education reporter Nanette Asimov won the 2012 John Swett Award for Media Excellence, which recognizes exceptional education reporting. Asimov has written a series of stories on the college's struggle to stay in business since officials learned in July that the largest public school in California would have to show an accrediting commission that it deserves to remain open.

"Judges look for reporting that raises the bar for insight into education issues," said Mike Myslinski, a CTA media consultant. Asimov "reported with great insight and passion to bring the struggle to the public in a way that everyone could understand."

Entries are judged by an independent panel of media professionals without input from the teachers' union.

Eighteen other journalists were honored for stories ranging from growing class sizes to the impact of Proposition 30 on education funding. Asimov was previously a Swett Award winner for a 2010 feature story on students with different economic backgrounds at UC Berkeley.